* Official Match Thread - Portsmouth Away *

[OhDannyBoy]

Ireland was injured, surely that was clear to see?

I wouldnt be surprised if a news story pops up on our site soon saying he will be out with a foot injury.

He got a full stooded challange from brown in the first half, and after that was hardly in the game

[david yearsley]

So glad we finally put one over that fuclin yard-dog - Brown was brought in to do a job but Stevie was well below par with his touches, decisions and passing today but I´m glad he´s got this out of the way and he´ll be back to his best in a fortnight

[zuricity]

I thought we looked pretty solid at the back today. Lescott looked much better. Shay just had one block to make in the whole game.

Difficult to say. Pompey were unrecognisable from last years squad. Our next opposition would have tore them apart.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

[Tokyo Blue]

Irelands worse game for a while too- there was definitely tiredness last 20 - don´t forget Pompey played Tues and had 2 more days rest and they had 2 fresh, new players who came in - the midfield isn´t right and I was surprised Tevez wasn´t buzzing everywhere being the fulcrum when we needed an outlet - so many times we came away with the ball but no-one showed - that´s what Tevez was bought for and he was missing - maybe he´s still not match fit - coz of this we gave the ball away time and time again
Thankfully the defence was strong although we rode our luck - still 2 away wins in the bag already - we needed a whole season to achieve that last time

Well he did get stamped on by Michael Brown.

[edge275]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

Why do you think it was the ideal time?

[xavi6]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

Spot on Doug.

I think Bellamy was chosen for his ability to track back. Pompey is a horrible place to go at the best of times and we couldn't afford to leave one of our full backs exposed. Van Den Borre is quick and fit and I doubt Robby would have been too arsed tracking him back.

No problems with the decision.

[JB]

I think we got screwed today, I cannot remember the whistle blowing and me being this pissed off.

Barry not involved in the play, Micah scores, 2 fucking nil.

Tevez got fucking mugged at the death, 3-0.

And for the last 10 minutes, Pompey were getting freekicks for a puppy dog look glanced in Webb's direction.

I agree with that assessment. Brown should have been yellow carded at least twice - not that I am comparing Webb with Poll.

[Tokyo Blue]

Not the most flowing of performances but I am extremely pleased to win away against thirteen men, particularly at a place where we were at our very worst last season.

[Renato_CTID]

I think Wayne Bridge was simply outstanding today. A hard worker with great stuff, I don't remember anyelse stronger dressing our blue shirt in this role than him!!!

[david yearsley]

Yeah, agree possibly Stevie was carrying a knock and that contributed - two weeks thankfully to get him right - I´m looking forward to the day when some cnut cripples Brown - he´s got the Karma coming his way filthy twat!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

Spot on Doug.

I think Bellamy was chosen for his ability to track back. Pompey is a horrible place to go at the best of times and we couldn't afford to leave one of our full backs exposed. Van Den Borre is quick and fit and I doubt Robby would have been too arsed tracking him back.

No problems with the decision.

I think Xavi answers the question perfectly. We might have won by more with Robinho in but we will never know now. I think we missed some of his invention and interplay but we did have a bit more of a holding presence with Bellamy even if he didn't play very well ( apart from setting up an excellent second goal of course)

[Vantage]

The Good

Didn't play well against a formation set up frustrate us and won 3 points is all you get for a win can't get any more
Ade = complete class

The Bad

Webb had a Pompey shirt on under his ref's kit
Ireland might be injured
Brown could have dry bummed Tevez and still not got booked
Heart stopping moments in defence when Utaka and Nugent came on
The first XI are going to take a few more games to figure out how to play together
I still (despite palace) think we can't play SWP and Ireland together
Rigsby should have started instead of Bellamy who isn't cutting it so far this season
Richards is a shadow of his former self

The Ugly
Could Rob being rested be an omen for a move to Barca?...
We're not cohesive enough to kill off shit sides like Pompey
Hughes lacks a plan B tactically

On the other hand
Look at the fookin stats, not conceding, undefeated equalled last seasons away record already - do the city city sheikh!

[zuricity]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

Spot on Doug.

I think Bellamy was chosen for his ability to track back. Pompey is a horrible place to go at the best of times and we couldn't afford to leave one of our full backs exposed. Van Den Borre is quick and fit and I doubt Robby would have been too arsed tracking him back.

No problems with the decision.

I think Xavi answers the question perfectly. We might have won by more with Robinho in but we will never know now. I think we missed some of his invention and interplay but we did have a bit more of a holding presence with Bellamy even if he didn't play very well ( apart from setting up an excellent second goal of course)

I don't recall Bellamy tracking back that often today. Once in the first half with adebayor , when both conspired to lose the ball between them anyway.

[trout man]

Ireland was injured, surely that was clear to see?

I wouldnt be surprised if a news story pops up on our site soon saying he will be out with a foot injury.

He got a full stooded challange from brown in the first half, and after that was hardly in the game

Exactly and that is why he was removed. As for Robinho not getting a run, this is exactly the type of game that Robbie played poorly in last year so many times, despite Bellamy's reasonably poor technical performance, he did not let the pompey players have time on the ball. There was a lot of grafting off the ball from Barry, Tevez and Bellamy that was very helpful and something we did not do last year. This was a good comfortable performance away from home and tactically Hughes got it pretty much spot on. Well done City!

[King Kev]

Ireland was injured, surely that was clear to see?

It was very clear to see mate, I even mentioned it in this thread when the players came out for the second half!

Ireland wasn't marked out of the game by Brown, he was kicked and stamped out of the game by him!

[Slim]

I thought Bellamy did well, he is so fearless, he looks like he would run through a brick wall if it got in his way.

We needed that energy and grit today, really thought the weakest point of us was our right today and after Ireland was injured and after he was subbed the centre looked a little soft. Fucking Brown should be quartered the miserable cunt.

[Vhero]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

Spot on Doug.

I think Bellamy was chosen for his ability to track back. Pompey is a horrible place to go at the best of times and we couldn't afford to leave one of our full backs exposed. Van Den Borre is quick and fit and I doubt Robby would have been too arsed tracking him back.

No problems with the decision.

Bellers certainly didn't backtrack much today.

[Goaters 103]

We certainly weren't at our best in the final third today but we did have a perfectly good 2nd goal ruled out, and more than a decent pen shout for a foul on Tevez as well.

How many times have we watched The Sky 4 teams at the top win 1-0 away from home though when not playing their best. Granted Nugent should have scored, but some of the free kicks they got and the pen and decisions we didn't get also contributed to the final scoreline.

I must also have missed the new FA Rule passed this week that confirms that t**t Brown is allowed to foul multiple times in a game without any punishment, as he has to foul because he's shit. What a joke.

However Brown is barely worthy of a second of our attention, onwards and upwards we go. Pleasingly we have won every game this season without playing that great so our best footy is yet to come. We will need to produce some of that in the next 2 games to remain unbeaten.

[xavi6]

I think we can safely say that Ireland was taked off due to injury rather than not being brilliant.
As for Robinho not playing is that really a problem? Not for a second do I think Bellamy had a great game but the team won't stay the same for every match and this seemed to me an ideal time to leave Robinho out.

Spot on Doug.

I think Bellamy was chosen for his ability to track back. Pompey is a horrible place to go at the best of times and we couldn't afford to leave one of our full backs exposed. Van Den Borre is quick and fit and I doubt Robby would have been too arsed tracking him back.

No problems with the decision.

Bellers certainly didn't backtrack much today.

Can you honestly say Robinho would have done a better job defensively?